President Donald Trump is welcoming Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to the White House days before a crucial secession vote in his country.

The regional government in Catalonia is holding a binding referendum Sunday on separating from Spain. But the Spanish government insists such a vote is illegal and promises it won’t take place. Catalonia is one of Spain’s 17 autonomous regions. Its capital is the Mediterranean port city of Barcelona, a favorite for tourists.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert recently said the U.S. has no position on the referendum.

She says the U.S. will work with any government or entity that comes out of the vote.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Monday she had nothing to add to the State Department’s position on the issue.

Remarks by President Trump Before Meeting with Bipartisan Members of the House Committee on Ways and Means

TRANSCRIPT

Roosevelt Room

10:48 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. I’m honored to welcome Republican and Democrat members of the House Ways and Means Committee to the White House. We’ve been meeting long and hard. We’ve been meeting for quite some time. And it’s been very interesting, and we’re going to have a big announcement tomorrow.